Around 10 years ago in September of 1999, Manny Pacquiao was at a crossroads of his career. He had just lost his WBC flyweight belt to Medgoen Singsurat in Thailand after getting knocked out by a body shot. Pacquiao had stayed too long at the 112 division and was dehydrated and struggled to make weight for his title defense. It was Pacquiao’s last campaign below 120 pounds as he jumped 10 pounds for his next fight and captured the WBC international super bantamweight belt.
It was a wise career decision for Pacquiao as it marked the beginning of what would be boxing’s most impressive run in the past decade. Pacquiao would go on to make five successful defenses of his title until he got his big break in 2001.Enter Freddie Roach.
When Pacquiao first came to America in 2001 and knocked on the boxing gyms looking for someone to take him in, he received the cold shoulder most Filipino boxers before him got from trying to crack into the American boxing scene. Let’s be real, there was little to no interest from this side of the globe when it came to boxers from that other side of the globe at that time. You just didn’t see too many Asians, especially Filipino boxers with much success here in the states back then. For whatever reason, that was the case. Manny saw more shut doors than the Jehovah’s Witnesses… well maybe not more but you know what I mean. But one fateful day, Manny walked inside the now hallowed doors of 1123 Vine Street in Hollywood- address of what is more known to the boxing world as the gym of the Wild Card Boxing Club- and the rest is history. I guess it’s just as they say. “If you want to be a star, come to Hollywood.”
It was supposedly Manny’s second to the last stop before he goes back to Manila and bid his American dreams goodbye. It’s then when Freddie Roach first saw Manny Pacquiao’s potential. He must’ve seen something that the rest did not have, for him to want to take on trainer number one, two, six and thirty six’s sloppy seconds. He saw a diamond in the rough. He gave the unknown kid from General Santos city Philippines a home.
And now General Paulino Santos must be rolling in his grave in fears of his name getting permanently deleted from the map of the Philippines because as all Filipinos know, General Santos City, Philippines is really Manny Pacquiao City, Philippines.
From that point on, Freddie and Manny built a solid trainer-boxer relationship. Manny worked his tail off from day one, and Freddie responded by sharing and giving his all to help the boy reach his potential. And boy did he reach and surpass his potential! Can you imagine now, how things would’ve been without a Manny Pacquiao? Think about it. What if Freddie Roach overslept that day or got his car towed or something and that meeting never happened?
I’m pretty sure Juan Manuel Marquez has thought of a world without a Manny Pacquiao a few times before but let’s get real. I know Halloween is a ways away but do I really have to put on my Larry Merchant costume to stress out how big of an impact Manny Pacquiao has made for the sport of boxing? He singlehandedly resuscitated a sport gasping for air. He not only kicked the door open for Filipinos and Asian boxers alike, he also helped reacquaint the boxing public to the lower weight classes- not to mention spawning a newfound passionate boxing fan base that is the Filipino boxing fans.
Pacquiao's break came not too long from the fateful day when Pacquiao and Roach first met. Just a few months after, Pacquiao would jump in as a replacement to fight the then oft-avoided IBF super bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba at the MGM in Las Vegas. It was Pacquiao’s first ever taste of the big time, fighting for the first time under the bright Vegas lights. Nobody really knew who Pacquiao was nor did they have reason to, but from the get go, Pacquiao relished and took full advantage of his opportunity as he destroyed Ledwaba in sensational fashion, knocking out the champ in the sixth round and introducing his name to boxing fans around the world in the process.
Manny Pacquiao has definitely come far from where he started. Check back tomorrow for part two of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao's career, from his boxing exploits, his managerial and personal conflicts to his emergence as a national figure in his home country, the Philippines.
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